Trail Kit
It’s only a matter of time before everyone who is into RC’s has to do the walk of shame and you have to carry your RC back to the start. Hopefully it’s due to something really silly like dead batteries, but sometimes it’s because something broke.
Sometimes though this can be avoided by bringing along some essentials. A really common failure is the most silly and the easiest to remedy…dead batteries. Always bring some extra batteries for your radio (I usually pack an extra set of rechargeables and a cheap set of regular AA batteries for someone else). The other spare battery should be for your rig. If you’re crawl is only going to be one hour and your battery is usually good for four hours, then this may not be required, but it’s still not a bad idea. I bring an extra LiPo battery with me in my backpack every time I go crawling. I also carry a LiPo battery checker to remove the guess work around whether or not you’re about to drain them too low.
If you’re a content creator, be sure to pack extra batteries for your GoPro’s, etc.
Spare parts are good to have but what do you bring? As a guideline, don’t bring parts that you can’t quickly replace in the field. I don’t want to be replacing motors, gears, driveshafts, or portal gears in the field so I leave all that at home. Those aren’t really likely to fail anyway. Well…maybe a driveshaft but if that happens, I’m willing to accept that my day is over.
My trail kit includes more than what I might need; I also carry parts that others may require (just in case). I carry assorted screws & nuts, axle nuts, servo horns of different sizes, a fully assembled shock (it may not match the others but it will get me home), zip ties, and even a spare steering servo. Steering servos don’t usually take long to swap out and they can be easily burned out if over loaded. I also car a spare panhard mount for the Axial SCX10III. Again this isn’t for my benefit because mine are upgraded to aluminum, but that particular rig is becoming very popular and not everyone knows to upgrade that component (they do break easily and it only takes 3min to replace).
It should be obvious that you will need some tools in your bag. A multi-tool is a good idea (I always have one with me regardless of where I am or what I’m doing). Most have needle nose plies which are a staple item for any trail kit. You should also have some hex drivers, or more conveniently, a multi-driver with various tips. The essential hex tips would be 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm. If you’re into night crawls, be sure to pack a flashlight in your bag. Another very handy tool is a small tire tool to ensure that your axle nuts are tight. Losing an axle nut on the trail isn’t a big deal but only if you have spares in your bag of assorted nuts and a tire tool to reattach it.
Obviously you should dress according to the weather and trail conditions.
Other essentials would include sunscreen, bug spray, water and of course…hand sanitizer.